Marcus Wareing

Overall ranking: 80

Chef ranking: 13

Snapshot

Career guide

Born in Southport, Lancashire in 1970, Wareing cut his teeth under some of the masters. From 1986 to 1993, he worked at London's Savoy hotel under Anton Edelmann, Le Gavroche under Albert Roux (where he met Ramsay), The Point in New York, the Grand Hotel in Amsterdam and Gravetye Manor in West Sussex.

His partnership with Ramsay began in 1993, when he helped open Aubergine in London where Ramsay was head chef and co-owner with A-Z Restaurants.

Wareing took a break from his role as sous chef at Aubergine in 1995 to work alongside Daniel Boulud in New York and Guy Savoy in Paris. He returned to the UK to become head chef of A-Z's new London restaurant, L'Oranger in 1996, a business in which he and Ramsay both held a stake.

Following an acrimonious split with A-Z in 1998, Wareing opened Pétrus in March 1999 in St James Street, London, in partnership with Ramsay. In 2003 he became chef-patron of the Savoy Grill in the Savoy hotel, moved Pétrus into the Berkeley hotel and opened Banquette above the Savoy Grill. He converted the old Pétrus site into the more accessible La Fleur, but closed it in early 2004 due to leasehold complications.

What we think
Wareing's long association with Ramsay earned him the nickname of "the shadow" and he agrees he has built up his career from being a partner. But he quickly stepped into his own spotlight and has won Michelin stars for three ventures to date, including the current Pétrus and Savoy Grill restaurants.

As sous chef at Ramsay's Aubergine, he was voted Young Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association in 1995, and won his first Michelin star at L'Oranger in 1997 within a year of it opening. However, he was sacked in 1998 (the day after Ramsay quit A-Z) following a row with the company over proposed four-year contracts and the non-payment of money from his 10% stake.

But, with Ramsay's backing, he soon bounced back in 1999 as chef-patron of Pétrus (named after his favourite wine) in St James Street, London, which scooped a Michelin star within seven months of opening.

2003 saw his role in the Ramsay empire expand as he took over the Savoy Grill (which achieved its first-ever Michelin star in early 2004), moved Pétrus into the Berkeley hotel to replace Pierre Koffmann's two Michelin-starred La Tante Claire, and opened Banquette (his version of an American diner) above the Savoy Grill.

Although he is already operating at the top levels, Wareing's peers believe he has a lot more to offer and has yet to play his trump card.